Written by

B.J. Hammerstein
Detroit Free Press columnist

After 4 1/2 seasons of dramatic TV acclaim, pop culture geeks and small-screen aficionados know they'll be seeing "Breaking Bad" at the top of many critics' end-of-year lists.

But with only eight hour-long episodes to go before the series reaches its grand finale this summer, the debate has changed: Now the argument isn't solely about a singular episode or the exhausting roller-coaster ride that viewers experience after each full season. It's also about the show's legacy.

The series, which has brilliantly chronicled the transformation of meek Walter White (Bryan Cranston) from high ...